1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a communication module and particularly to a communication module with dual systems and a method for defining its operating mode.
2. Description of Related Art
Along with the wireless communication technology gradually developing, the application of a wireless networks has gone beyond computer platforms and extends into mobile phones, digital still cameras (DSC), digital video players, game devices, and other electronic consumer products. At the present time, electronic products provided with wireless communication function are increasingly required in the consumer market.
The wireless communication function in a device is generally supported by three major function blocks which includes Radio Frequency (RF) for receiving and transmitting a signal, Intermediate Frequency (IF) for secondary frequency modulation and frequency conversion, and a baseband for processing and storing data. At the present stage, there are two technologies of System on Chip (SoC) and System in Package (SiP) that may be used to integrate the complicated wireless signal processing mechanism into a single component; thus, the power consumption and area occupied by a PCB may be reduced and device design may be simplified, which is of assistance to the shortening of development schedule for a back-end product. The technology of SoC must be confronted with a great number of issues on Silicon IP, design, verification, packaging, and testing in a manufacturing process, while the technology of SiP on the other hand is flexible in terms of manufacturing process for a communication module and easier to accommodate customization requirements.
Communication module is being developed towards a target of multifunctional integration, with the aim of having a plurality of communication systems in a single module. For example, a dual system provided with wireless local area network (WLAN) function and wireless personal area network (WPAN) function, such as Bluetooth, may support the connection between information devices and that between a device and Internet.
Regarding the device design, a single dual-band antenna or two uni-band antennae may be used for a dual wireless communication function to receive and transmit two types of wireless signals. The signal transmission paths in the two application modes are different, so different circuits must be used for matching. Thus, at present, dual-system communication module is frequently provided for a module product having different internal circuits to match with the antenna mode used by a client. In addition to the front-end antenna operation mode, the transmission interface type and oscillation pulse frequency of the module are also based on customer requirements. Thus, a manufacturer must establish module products with various specifications to meet the customer design.
A diverse communication module is a burden for the manufacturer in the aspects of manufacturing and marketing controls; whereas for a back-end industry, a single module is given for only a fixed design mode, which is limited in flexibility. In consideration of the mentioned-above limitations of prior art, the inventor brings up the present invention to improve the current technical limitations.
Consequently, because of the technical limitations described above, the applicant strives via experience and research to develop the present invention, which can effectively improve the limitations described above.